Answer to Your Question

What is the ruling on making a black dot on the forehead of children?

Question: What do blessed Islamic scholars say about the following issue? It is famous amongst people that by making a black dot [also called Teeka] on the forehead of children they stay safe from the evil eye. Is it permissible as per Shari’ah to make a black dot on the forehead?

Questioner: Abdul Qadir (Mirpur Mathelo, Bab-ul-Islam, Sindh)

بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّ حِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ   ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

Answer: To make a black teeka on the forehead, chin or cheek of children in order to protect them from the evil eye is permissible as per Shari’ah. It is a method and remedy to stay safe from the evil eye and every such remedy that is not contrary to Shari’ah and has also been proved effective through experience is permissible. Making a black dot on the chin for protection from the evil eye has also been proved from the order given by Sayyiduna ‘Usman رَضِىَ اللّٰەُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهُ. Therefore, there is no harm in it, it is permissible.

In Mirqat, ‘Allamah ‘Ali Bin Sultan Muhammad Qari رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has said:

فی شرح السنة روی ان عثمان رضی اللّٰە عنە رأی صبیًا ملیحا فقال

دسموا نونتە کیلا تصیبە العین۔ و معنی دسموا سودوا، والنونة النقرۃ التی تکون فی ذقن الصبی الصغیر

i.e. it has been narrated from Sayyiduna ‘Usman-e-Ghani رَضِىَ اللّٰەُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهُ in Sharh-us--Sunnah: When he رَضِىَ اللّٰەُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهُ saw a cute baby, he رَضِىَ اللّٰەُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهُ said: ‘Make a black dot or teeka on his chin so that he may not be affected by the evil eye.’ (In this narration) ‘دَسِّمُوْا’ means to blacken and ‘اَلنُّوْنَة’ means the small mark that is made on the chin of a small child. (Mirqat-ul-Mafatih, vol. 8, pp. 305, Taht-al-Hadees: 4531)

In Mirat-ul-Manajih, Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has said: If famous remedies practised by people are not contrary to Shari’ah, it is not necessary to stop them. Such as Naql [evidence as per Shari’ah] is not necessary for medicines, experience is sufficient. Similarly, Naql [evidence as per Shari’ah] is not necessary for Du’as and such remedies. If they are not contrary to Shari’ah, they are correct though Du’as which are proved from the Holy Quran and blessed Ahadees are better. (Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 6, pp. 224; summarised)

Furthermore, according to another blessed Hadees he رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has stated in its commentary: Remember, when our intellect does not work in medicines, it will not work in these remedies either, therefore it is not correct to object to these practices. (Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 6, pp. 245)

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ   عَزَّوَجَلَّ   وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ اَعْلَم   صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ واٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

Phone numbers & email address of Dar-ul-Ifta Ahl-e-Sunnat

Views of Islamic scholars and other dignitaries

1. Maulana Ghulam Rasool Al-Qasimi Sahib

(Shaykh-ul-Hadees, Jami’ah Mu’azzamiyah, Gulzar-e-Taybah, Sargodha)

‘Mahnamah Faizan-e-Madinah’ is an important source of Dawat-e-Islami in connection with serving the great cause of Deen [Islam]. I have gone through many editions of ‘Mahnamah Faizan-e-Madinah’. مَا شَـآءَ اللّٰە, ‘Mahnamah Faizan-e-Madinah’ is fully adorned with the words of knowledge and reform, as well as it is a standard-bearer of ‘true doctrines and beliefs’. May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ grant ‘Mahnamah Faizan-e-Madinah’ progress and accept it in His blessed court.

اٰمِيۡن   بِجَاهِ   النَّبِيِّ  الۡاَمِيۡن   صَلَّى  اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى  عَلَيۡهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

2. Maulana Muhammad Azram Hameed Siyalvi Sahib

(Administrator Jami’ah Ghausiyyah, Ma’soomiyah, Kallar Syedan, District Rawalpindi)

In today’s era, it has become very difficult to serve Deen [Islam] but some people, with the privilege bestowed by Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, are engaged in carrying out the blessed activities of serving Deen. Nowadays people around the globe are benefiting from Dawat-e-Islami, and ‘Mahnamah Faizan-e-Madinah’ is another milestone in this connection through which we are being reformed. Everyone must read it but rather this great Islamic magazine is a need of every home.

Views of Islamic brothers

1     I have had the privilege to read the questions and answers stated under the series of Dar-ul-Ifta Ahl-e-Sunnat and Madani Muzakarahs. Addition of date of Madani Muzakarahs with ‘Madani Muzakarah answers’ is good, مَا شَـآءَ اللّٰە.

2     Besides providing worldly and Islamic knowledge, ‘Mahnamah Faizan-e-Madinah’ gives us information about the services being rendered by Dawat-e-Islami. I was glad to read the foreword published in the ‘Mahnamah Faizan-e-Madinah’ of Jumadal Ukhra. May Allah Almighty grant this magazine further progress and make it famous amongst the public. (Akhtar Qaadiri, Sukkur, Bab-ul-Islam Sindh)

Views of Madani children

1     We receive a copy of ‘Mahnamah Faizan-e-Madinah’ every month at our home. I make new questions out of the content of ‘Mahnamah Faizan-e-Madinah’ and play ‘Zehni Aazmaish’ [quiz] with my friends. (Umm-e-Haani, Ziya Kot, Sialkot)

2     I like ‘Mahnamah Faizan-e-Madinah’ so much. Addition of more headings is good, as it becomes easy to understand the content through headings. (Hood Raza, Quaidabad, Bab-ul-Madinah Karachi)

Views of Islamic sisters

1     I read ‘Mahnamah Faizan-e-Madinah’ for the month of Jumadal Ukhra. My happiness knew no bounds when I read one of the following supplicatory sentences of Shaykh ‘Abdul Hadi Muhammad Al-Kharsah, ‘In the spiritual order of Qadiriyyah Mashaaikh, there is always some Mazhar [manifestation] of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qaadir Jeelani رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه in every era, and Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat is the Mazhar of Shaykh ‘Abdul Qaadir Jeelani رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه in this era’. (Umm-e-Sa’d, Zamzam Nagar, Hyderabad)

2          I read some pages of ‘Mahnamah Faizan-e-Madinah’ published in Jumadal Ukhra. In the series, ‘Some voice messages of Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat’, I read this Madani pearl, ‘Hurting someone’s feeling truly does not suit us at all’. I make intention that I will not do any such thing in future which may cause any trouble to anybody. (Bint-e-Naveed Attari, Daur, Bab-ul-Islam Sindh)